Gardening

In the garden, students have been busy planting seeds and seedlings and growing a wonderful range of fresh produce. The Foundation students are tending to cucumbers, the Year 1s are growing zucchini, and the Year 2s are nurturing corn. Our Year 3/4 classes each selected something different — from radishes to cauliflowers and swedes — creating a colourful patchwork of vegetables. Mr Neal’s class brightened the courtyard by planting succulents, making the space more vibrant and inviting. The Year 5/6 students were given the freedom to choose what they wanted to grow in pots, selecting from a variety of herbs, flowers, and other seedlings.

The garden has been a hive of activity this term — and not just because of everything we’ve been growing. The real excitement has come from who has been eating the plants when we’re not watching (and sometimes right in front of us!). We’ve been lucky enough to have Frederick, the orphan calf, spending his weeks at school and being cared for by our students. Each morning, a different class visited the garden to give Freddie his bottles. He drinks about three litres each morning, and students took turns holding the bottle to feed him. Freddie arrived every Monday morning and stayed until Friday afternoon, travelling to and from school in the back of the Patrol. When he first joined us, he was only about two weeks old — tiny, sleepy, and often curled up with his head resting on a student’s lap. Over the term, he has grown significantly… and so has his appetite.

As Freddie became more confident (and hungrier!), he developed a habit of helping himself to the garden beds. He has happily munched on the corn and made several attempts at the strawberry plants. As a result, any pots with tempting green leaves now live in the back section of the garden where Freddie can’t reach them. Students watering plants have learned to be quick — the moment a lid lifts, Freddie appears, ready to snack on anything new and leafy.

When he was smaller, Freddie was content to stay inside the garden fence. Now, with his growing strength and curiosity, he often finds his way out because, as the saying goes, “the grass is always greener on the other side.” At lunchtime, students sometimes put a harness on him and lead him to fresh patches of grass. He has even been known to enjoy a run around the oval, much to the delight of students who try to keep up with him — at least until he spots a tree with low branches and plenty of leaves to nibble.

It is now time for Freddie to return to the farm, where he will join other calves, make new friends, and enjoy the space to run and play. There will be plenty of grass waiting for him there, too.

It has been a joy having Freddie at school, and he will be missed by the many students who visited him regularly — especially those who came to see him every single day.